Grrrrrrrrrreat Prenatal Appointment!!

All signs of urinary tract infection are gone! I was dreading the possibility of needing antibiotics so that was a relief. Seems that the vitamin C tablets and copious amounts of cranberry juice did the trick. That or the sterile sample container vs the jam jar I used for the first lab test ;)

My blood pressure was good at 110/70, though perhaps slightly elevated due to the doctor's scale indicating a 22 pound weight gain since my first appointment!!! Definitely wrong. Most definitely incorrect. Heart good, kidneys good, reflexes good, no edema, fundus height bang on. Baby's movements very good. Too early to detect a heartbeat with a stethoscope unfortunately, but the movements tell most of the story.

I passed along my Dr. Sarah J. Buckley Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering book with a few chapters marked for his special attention (Ultrasounds, Undisturbed Birth, and Third Stage). He seemed interested in reading through it. He is also planning to attend the conference in Monterrey at the beginning of May at which she will be speaking. I'm SUPER DUPER EXCITED to be planning to attend this conference.

Then we talked. I told him that I have been thinking, dreaming and praying about the birth... and I am seeing it at home. His response? "Why not?" My heart leaped! I love how this has fallen into place so naturally. At first I received a lukewarm response to the idea from Andrew, Dr. Lopez and from Lucia. I didn't want to push for anything with which my support team was not comfortable so I focused on planning a waterbirth in hospital. But every time I thought about having this baby, I was labouring in water at home. I have even been looking at appropriate kiddie pools and daydreaming about it while I'm grocery shopping. I spoke again with Andrew about it a while ago and he was much more open to it, quite supportive in fact. Dr. Lopez's response seals it.

We are officially planning a home birth!

For those who are concerned about my and the baby's safety, here is a link that might help to ease your mind: http://www.gentlebirth.org/format/myths.html

I am thrilled for so many reasons. I won't have to endure the uncomfortable drive to the hospital or dance through contractions while trying to answer questions about who I am and how I'm paying or deal with the limbo that is triage. I will be able to focus entirely on relaxing into the process of birth and letting my body do the work God designed it to do. I won't need to worry about childcare (assuming Mom can be here at the time that baby chooses to join us on the outside). Eva and Micah will get a chance to witness the miracle of birth if they choose. We will all five get to climb into our deliciously cozy bed and get to know the new member of our family very soon after he or she is born. I will have my own food, my own bathroom, my own familiar spaces and things, my whole family surrounding me during and afterward. There is less risk of infection and unnecessary intervention. With no hospital staff waking us up to poke and prod us, baby and I will be able to enjoy the beautiful undisturbed restorative sleep of two people who have worked hard and need the rest. (I experienced this with Micah, coming home a few hours after his 1pm birth; that first night was a wonderful gift).

My hope and desire is for a straightforward, undisturbed birth and I believe I am doing my part to that end: nutrition, education, exercise and prayer. In the event that this birth requires medical help, I will have three skilled and prepared caregivers in attendance (midwife, OB/gyn and Pediatrician) and a top quality hospital within 15 minutes drive.

WOW I'm excited. :D